Small groups can be really awkward. You gather with a bunch of other people that you barely know to study, pray, and maybe share a meal.
You don’t always know what to say, but you make do. As you leave you feel encouraged and think to yourself, “It was worth it… I should do that more.” But by the time the next week rolls around, you find it hard to motivate yourself to go.
Do you find yourself struggling with your church’s small groups? Well, there’s an obscure Puritan who can help with this.
A Puritan’s Take on “Social Religious Meetings”
Archibald Hall was an English clergyman who, in 1770, wrote one of the finest works on Reformed worship ever penned. The book is Gospel Worship: The Nature, Obligations, Manner, and Ordinances of the Worship of God.
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Despite the dusty-sounding title, this is a truly devotional book that touches on all aspects of a church’s worship, including small groups.
Small groups may not sound very “Puritan,” but Hall devoted an entire chapter to the subject. Hall actually considered these gatherings—what he called “social religious meetings”—to be vital to the health of the church. For Hall, small groups were not only Scripturally warranted but also genuinely helpful for individual and communal growth.
His insights are timelessly biblical, so let’s take a look at what this saint from another age has to say about this subject.1 We’ll close with three applications and a free worksheet that will help make small groups more beneficial, more enjoyable, and less awkward.
The Biblical Basis for Small Groups
You know that the Bible calls us to grow in faith, but you might be surprised—shocked, even—at how often Scripture ties our personal sanctification to our fellowship with other believers.
Let’s look at the biblical argument for small group fellowship.
1. Our relationships run deeper than we think
Whether or not this is an intimacy you feel right now with all your brothers and sisters in Christ, the Bible testifies that this is a blood-bought reality in the church. Scripture repeatedly tells us that our subjective, transient thoughts and feelings must be conformed to the realities of God’s wisdom (Proverbs 28:26; 1 John 3:20).
Read and ponder the following truths to renew your mind—and heart—on the intimacy you already have with your fellow saints:
- Christians are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). This implies that we have closer fellowship with one another than with our political tribes and familial relations.
- Christians are brothers, fellow workers, and fellow soldiers (Philippians 2:25). This implies that we have closer fellowship than with our physical siblings, our coworkers, and our peers, and surpasses even the bonds forged in training and combat by military squadrons.
- Christians are fellow servants (Revelation 6:11). This implies that we have greater richness in our fellowship than those who have the same shared experience of service.
- Christians are members of the same body (Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27). This implies that we have greater unity than even the various parts of our bodies.
Hall notes that everyone considers it wise for members of the same profession or students of the same subject to meet together at conferences, societies, think tanks, and study groups. How much more must Christians gather to learn and grow together and to encourage one another!
2. God loves it when we commit with one another to fear and serve him
Malachi lays out this truth in what Hall calls “that remarkable passage”:
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Malachi 3:16–18)
Hall points out that this was a private gathering and commitment of “those who feared the Lord.” It was not a prescribed assembly but arose out of their mutual, voluntary desire to give to the Lord, serve him, and keep his commandments (see 3:9–10, 14).
For those who committed together to fear and honor him, God said that “they shall be mine… and I will spare them.” God claims as his own those who covenant together to seek him. What encouragement this is to our private gatherings!
3. Intentional fellowship helps us walk in the ways of God
Scripture repeatedly affirms the value of voluntarily coming together:
- To lift one another up: “Two are better than one… For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10)
- To teach and admonish one another and cultivate thankfulness: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
- To help each other: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
- To be delivered from the hardening and deceitfulness of sin: “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)
The benefits of friendly reproof, comfort, and counsel are both great and necessary, Hall says, for us to enjoy life, hold fast to our way, and remain strong in the Lord.
4. Scripture provides numerous examples of such gatherings
Throughout the history of redemption we find the saints voluntarily gathering together.
- David talks of companionship and taking sweet counsel together (Psalm 55:13–14), and invites all who hear to come and hear what God has done for him (Psalm 66:16).
- The Babylonian exiles gathered at the river to weep and remember Zion (Psalm 137:1).
- Daniel and his companions prayed together about the mystery of the king’s dream and the danger to their lives (Daniel 2:17–18).
- Esther and her young women—along with Mordecai and all the Jews in Susa—fasted and sought the Lord prior to her seeking an audience with the king (Esther 4:16).
- Jesus and his disciples were continually together, according to all four Gospels.
- The disciples were gathered privately on the first day of the week prior to being equipped at Pentecost for public ministry (John 20:19, 26).
- The believers in Jerusalem gathered at the house of Mary, the mother of John, for prayer (Acts 12:12).
- Paul gathered with the Ephesians elders to teach, encourage, warn, and pray with them (Acts 20:17–36).
These examples show that there is biblical precedent for Christians to gather together in addition to the corporate Lord’s Day worship. There is a richness in fellowship to be enjoyed in the society of other believers outside of Sunday services, private devotions, family worship, and individual friendships.
The Purpose of Small Groups
We’ve seen that the Bible gives us plenty of encouragement to gather together. Next, Hall helps us consider the purpose or goals of these small group meetings.
1. Growth in our knowledge of God and his word
It has often been noted that we have a vast wealth of knowledge available, yet the average Christian is more biblically illiterate than previous generations.
The problem is not a lack of resources.
The early church had precious few resources, and even had to share the apostolic letters (Colossians 4:16). Yet they were able “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ” (Colossians 2:2). How was that knowledge possible without all the podcasts and study tools and personal Bibles we have available to us?
This would only be possible by careful attention to Paul’s instruction to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Colossian 3:16).
There are few better ways to grow in our knowledge of God’s ways and works than by joining together with other believers to study and discuss the word. Perhaps the state of our discipleship would improve if we prized time together even more than we value our personal devotions.2
2. Growth in our shared comfort with other believers
Smaller gatherings provide a place to express what Hall calls our “mutual Christian sympathy.” In small groups believers find greater freedom to open their hearts about the sorrows, struggles, and temptations they face.
And they can do this with hope.
They can have hope knowing that their brothers and sisters have been there (1 Corinthians 10:13), and that through their warnings, examples, encouragements, and counsels they may be comforted (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
3. Growth in our zeal for godliness and good works
The biblical way to grow in love and good works is to stir and be stirred up by one another (Hebrews 10:24).
“One another” is a favorite New Testament term which emphasizes that we need others—and they need us—if the church is to grow in zeal for godliness.
4. Growth in the use of our gifts and graces
1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Whether hospitality, service, or speech, these gifts are used most often in settings outside of the corporate worship service.
Small groups provide the opportunity for each of us to cultivate and practice these things.
5. Growth in our mutual accountability
What we call accountability, Hall describes as being “kind monitors to one another.”
Regardless of the label, the idea is the same: Private, voluntary gatherings are the ideal place to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13), and to “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
6. Growth in our practice of prayer and worship
Lastly, private gatherings are the perfect setting to join together in the spiritual exercises of prayer and praise.
How will we learn to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18) unless we commit to those practices together? In this way we can fulfill the admonition that “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).
Three Takeaways
Now, Hall did not have our modern preoccupation with how people feel. But for those of us who live and serve in the contemporary Christian context, where an introverted feeling of awkwardness often hinders the believer’s willingness to fellowship, here are three takeaways.
First, you need to come to a personal conviction from Scripture on the importance of meeting together with other believers.
If you’re guilted or prodded into a small group, you won’t last long. And if you rely on the emotional high that often comes from good fellowship, that might not last until the next meeting, or there may be some weeks where you just don’t feel it.
You need a biblical conviction that this is more necessary—and a greater blessing to you—than staying home.
Second, you need to practice the art of Christian fellowship.
This means that, like painting or piano or any other art, this is a skill that you need to practice regularly.
You don’t just show up; you come ready with “a hymn, a lesson, a revelation” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Meditate on the word so that you have something to share. Come ready to serve or use whatever gifts you have. Come with intentionality—don’t just ask how someone’s week has been, but ask about how a prayer request turned out, or how they’re doing on their Scripture reading or other areas of accountability. Come having reviewed the sermon or read the chapter to be discussed. Come ready to sing—loudly, joyfully—and to pray.
You’ll be awkward at first, for sure. But over time you’ll get better, and it will get easier. Not only will you grow in skill, but your love for your brothers and sisters will grow, too.
Third, you need to doubt yourself.
Question that feeling of anxiety or awkwardness and trust the reality of what Scripture says: This is your family, so treat one another as family.
Question your ability to grow in godliness on your own: Can a single soldier win a war? Can the eye say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’? Can I live the Christian life apart from others?
And question the value of passive attendance: One of the best ways to grow in knowledge, comfort, spiritual gifts, accountability, prayer, and worship is to come ready to share, give, and participate.
These three things—conviction, practice, and doubting your feelings and autonomy—will help you overcome the initial awkwardness of small groups so that you can experience the rich spiritual fellowship that God has for us in the church.
You may think of small groups as an optional choice in the buffet of services offered by the local church. But Hall’s thoughts on “social religious meetings” show us that the Bible’s path to spiritual growth in faith, holiness, and worship is a path we walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a path well worth taking—together.
Here’s a free worksheet to help you grow, or to assign to a counselee:
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